Which term describes an event in which damage or injury is narrowly avoided?

• A. thick
• B. carpenter
• C. near-miss
• D. fin

Answer: (C)

In safety terms, a near-miss is an event where a hazardous situation almost caused damage or injury, but didn’t—typically due to luck, timing, or quick corrective action. It signals that a risk was present and could recur, so it’s a warning that procedures or controls may need to be improved to prevent real harm in the future. The other words don’t fit this idea at all: they’re unrelated to safety events—one is an adjective with no connection to risk, one is a tradesperson, and one is a body part or part of a creature. Recognizing near-misses helps teams review what nearly went wrong and strengthen measures to keep people safe in future emergencies or disaster-response scenarios.